Business Watch

For the second time since 2002, Mattress Discounters of Upper Marlboro has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, citing both assets and debts ranging from $10 million to $50 million and between 1,000 and 5,000 creditors. In June, Baltimore bedding products retailer Dormia Inc. also filed for Chapter 11.

"In the face of a very difficult and trying time for most retailers, we are pleased to be in a position to be able to work with our lender to restructure our business," company president and CEO Steve Newton said in a statement. Mattress Discounters emerged from its first reorganization in 2004.

Mattress Discounters has more than 140 retail locations in Maryland, Virginia, Delaware, Washington, D.C., and New England, according to its Web site. Retail stores are located in Bethesda, Burtonsville, Clarksburg, Gaithersburg, Rockville, Silver Spring, Wheaton and White Oak, according to the Web.

As part of its reorganization plan, it plans to either close down or sell all of its New England stores and "consolidate its business operations around the core Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C., stores."

Mott, Crockett honored

by Montgomery chamber

Former MedImmune CEO David Mott heads the Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce's list of 2008 Business Awards winners unveiled two weeks ago. Winners will be honored at the chamber's annual Business Awards dinner Nov. 11.

Mott, who headed the Gaithersburg biotechnology company until its purchase by AstraZeneca in 2007, was named 2008 Business Leader of the Year.

Sterling Crockett, CEO of Sterling Construction Services, which has Rockville and Baltimore offices, was named Small Business Leader of the Year.

Finalists for the Verl Zanders Emerging Business of the Year are Get Real Consulting, Mountaintop Marketing Group and MyEyeDr. The award was renamed in memory of the late chamber board member.

Businesses warned about phony award scam

The Montgomery County's Office of Consumer Protection advises business executives to be wary about e-mail messages saying the business or organization has won an award. The solicitations seek payment for worthless awards, officials said.

An organization recently contacted the Bethesda-Chevy Chase Regional Services Center to report that it had received a suspicious e-mail message from the "U.S. Local Business Association" with a Washington, D.C., address, requesting payment to receive a plaque commemorating an award.

Consumer officials warn to be suspicious when the party offering the award lists only an email address and no phone number and wants people to provide business information before finding out how much a plaque costs. Complaints may be filed at 240-777-3636 or www.montgomerycountymd.gov/consumer.

Poolesville company relocates to Frederick

Visual Analytics, a 35-employee data analysis company that tracks money laundering and other crimes for law enforcement agencies and others, has moved from Poolesville to downtown Frederick.

The privately held company wanted larger space for its growing business, as well as an easier commute for employees, CEO Christopher Westphal said. Visual Analytics was founded in 1998 by Westphal, chief technology officer David O'Connor and COO Bennett McPhatter.

The company is on track to boost revenues this year by more than 70 percent, Westphal said. Other clients besides law enforcement agencies include state attorneys general offices, the Department of Defense, the Internal Revenue Service and the Defense Intelligence Agency.

CNSI gets $10.5M for work on Maine claims system

Rockville information technology company CNSI has won a $10.5 million, two-year contract extension with Maine's Department of Health and Human Services to provide operations and maintenance services for the state's claims management system.

The contract calls for CNSI to help support the system through 2010, as the state transitions from a state-operated Medicaid model to an outsourced system. Other clients of CNSI, which has offices around the country, include the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Aviation Administration, Department of Energy and Amtrak.

USDA gives $400K

to Maryland wineries

Three Maryland wineries have received a boost in the form of value-added producer grants from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The funds are given to growers to help turn their produce into marketable goods.

Elk Run Vineyards of Mount Airy grabbed the biggest grant of the three — $263,000. Cascia Vineyards of Stevensville received $99,856, while Terrapin Station Winery of Elkton was awarded $49,872.

Maryland wine industry has been growing at 20 percent annually, Kevin Atticks, executive director of the Maryland Wineries Association, said in a statement. "These grants are a testament to the success of one of Maryland's newest agricultures," he said.

Human Genome Sciences makes deal with Hospira

Rockville biotech Human Genome Sciences has made an agreement with biopharmaceutical company Hospira of Lake Forest, Ill., for the manufacturing process development and commercial supply of select Hospira biopharmaceutical products. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Curran Simpson, HGS senior vice president, said in a statement that the company sees the potential for $30 million to $60 million in revenue from similar manufacturing alliances, including the Hospira one, over the next three to four years.

Master Key Consulting wins DOJ contract

Master Key Consulting, a Rockville information technology company, has won a five-year, $16.9 million contract bid to provide IT management services for the U.S. Department of Justice's Office Programs.

CEO Jonathan Wilber said in a statement that he is "excited" to work with the agency again, noting that Master Key competed against larger companies bidding for the contract.

Emergent BioSolutions wins $24M HHS contract

Biopharmaceutical company Emergent BioSolutions of Rockville has won a $24.3 million contract from the Department of Health and Human Services to help fund development of its anthrax antibody.

The antibody has proven effective for people who have been exposed to anthrax, the company said in a statement. The contract enables Emergent to increase its manufacturing process and concentrate on non-clinical studies and its phase 1 clinical trial.

Report: Consumers'

trust in businesses falls

Over a seven-month period, consumers' trust in businesses has fallen in 13 of 15 industries measured, according to a Better Business Bureau survey. Those industries include auto dealerships, gas stations, department stores and banks.

When consumers were asked what factors affected their trust in businesses, 77 percent put higher prices for food, health care and energy at the top of the list. A like number said the actions of the nation's most important companies affect the trust they have in businesses that they deal with daily.

The bureau also reported that women surveyed cited declining trust in home improvement and department stores, while men cited declining trust in pharmacies, financial institutions and stock brokers.